The Peace Corps today released the 2014 rankings of the top volunteer-producing colleges and universities across the country. This year Tulane University ranks No. 2 in the graduate school category and No. 13 in the undergraduate medium school category.

This year Tulane produced more Peace Corps volunteers than any other school in Louisiana. There are currently 20 graduate students and 21 undergraduate alumni serving in communities abroad. Tulane moved up the ranks two spots in the graduate category and five spots in the undergraduate category from 2013 when they ranked No. 4 and No. 18.

Since the first days of the Peace Corps, 483 alumni from Tulane have traveled abroad to serve as volunteers.

Many of the graduate students currently serving abroad are with the Master’s International program. This program allows students the opportunity to integrate a master's degree with overseas service. Tulane MI students earn their Master in Public Health or Master of Science in Public Health while simultaneously serving in the Peace Corps. The program is designed for students to apply skills learned in an academic setting toward solving important health problems in developing countries during their service overseas.

“Tulane has had a long and very close relationship with the Peace Corps, so we are naturally excited to learn that we rank at the top of schools that produce Peace Corps volunteers,” said Dr. Thomas J. Stranova, associate dean Student Services, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. “For over 25 years, our MI program has provided students with the knowledge and skills needed to successfully carry out their Peace Corps service. From creating better malaria diagnostic systems in rural Equatorial Africa to expanding adolescent healthcare in Latin America, Tulane Master’s International students are working towards a better, healthier world. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with Peace Corps.”

Alumna Carlie Congdon earned a bachelor’s in Neuroscience from Tulane and stayed to join the Masters International program for a degree in Environmental Health Sciences. She recently completed her service in Vanuatu as a community health facilitator. She credits her time at Tulane for motivating her to join Peace Corps.

“Tulane really inspired me to join Peace Corps because following Katrina there was such a spirit of volunteerism in coming together to rebuild that was really motivating,” said Congdon. “The diversity of professors and student body helped me realize how much work there really was waiting to be done in developing countries. In joining the MI program I also got to hear stories from RPCVs that helped to prepare me for life here and find ways to apply all the knowledge I had learned in classes to my service.”

Service in the Peace Corps is a life-defining, hands-on leadership experience that offers volunteers the opportunity to travel to the farthest corners of the world and make a lasting difference in the lives of others. Peace Corps volunteers live and work at the community level and promote a better understanding between Americans and the people they serve, while at the same time becoming global citizens.

When they return home, volunteers bring knowledge and experiences that give them a competitive edge for 21st century jobs and advanced educational opportunities. They give back to their own communities and enrich the lives of those around them, helping to strengthen international ties and increase our country’s global competitiveness.

The Peace Corps has eight regional recruitment offices across the United States that work closely with prospective volunteers to ensure that all Americans who want to serve have the opportunity to do so. The Southwest regional recruitment office serves Tulane, and Peace Corps recruiters are based throughout the region. Find the recruitment office near you by visiting the Peace Corps website here.

The Peace Corps ranks the top volunteer-producing colleges and universities annually according to the size of the student body. Below find the top five colleges and universities in each category and the number of alumni currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers.

Find the complete 2014 rankings of the top 25 schools in each undergraduate category here.

About the Peace Corps: As the preeminent international service organization of the United States, the Peace Corps sends Americans abroad to tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world. Peace Corps volunteers work at the grassroots level with local governments, schools, communities, small businesses and entrepreneurs to develop sustainable solutions that address challenges in education, health, economic development, agriculture, environment and youth development. When they return home, volunteers bring their knowledge and experiences – and a global outlook – back to the United States that enriches the lives of those around them. President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961 to foster a better understanding among Americans and people of other countries. Since then, more than 215,000 Americans of all ages have served in 139 countries worldwide. Visit www.peacecorps.gov to learn more.